This book explores emerging practices in distance education that have been facilitated by the development of educational technology. The volume examines core themes in distance education including online education at scale, embodiment in online environments, connectivity in online education and the personalisation of learning experiences within online education. The first section of the book examines online teaching tools, and explores how they are being used to enhance and promote student learning. The second looks at some of the broader challenges encountered by online teachers and those responsible for designing online learning material. While this volume will be of significant interest to distance learning universities and colleges, it will also be a valuable resource to traditional Higher Education Institutions, who are increasingly searching for innovative ways to reach and teach their students. This edited collection will be of value to scholars of online education as well as practitioners and policy makers looking to enrich their notions of online pedagogy.

Jacqueline Baxter is Senior Lecturer and Associate Professor of Public Policy and Management at The Open University Business School, UK. Her research interests lie in the areas of public governance trust and accountability, particularly in the realm of education.George Callaghan is an economist with the Open University, UK. He is a Senior Fellow of the Higher Education Academy, teaches personal finance and economics and has published in the field of learning and teaching.Jean McAvoy is Senior lecturer and Director of Teaching in the School of Psychology at the Open University, UK. Her areas of interest focus on processes of subjectification and the production of subjectivities.

“Creativity and Critique in Online Learning is recommended for a broad audience of educators. It contains useful information for teachers who are currently involved in online teaching, scholars, and policymakers in online education, as well as teachers practicing a traditional form of education and looking for interesting and innovative ways to make their subjects more appealing to contemporary students. … the book presents online teaching in an unbiased manner.” (Saortua Marbun, Reflective Teaching, wabashcenter.wabash.edu, December 13, 2018)